Floor covering and the like



Oct. 11, 1938. s. c. CLARK FLOOR COVERIIK AND THE LIKE Filed July 22,19:55

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INVENTOR SAMUEL C-CLARK ATTORNE S Patented Oct. 11, 1938 PATENT OFFICEnoon covanmc AND rnr. mm

Samuel 0. Clark, Pontiac, Micln, assignor to Baldwin Rubber Company,Pontiac, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application July 22, 1935,Serial No. 32,818-

This invention relates generally to coverings and refers moreparticularly to floor coverings embodying a padding.

It has been customary in the past to manufacture floor coverings of thecharacter previously set forth with flexible marginal edge portionsadapted to extend beyond the side, edges of the padding a suflicientdistance to engage the flooring around the padding. Although coverings,of

the above type present a very neat appearance and have achieved somerecognition in the trade, nevertheless, they possess some definitelimitations and objections. For example, the width of the marginal edgeportions and the flexibility of the latter are definite limitingfactors, since they must be suflicient to permit the free edges of thecovering to fall naturally into engagement with the flooring beyond thepadding. In a number of instances it has been necessary to provideflexible marginal edge portions of relatively great width in order toafford the desired results, and this is objectionable since it reducesthe area of the floor covered by the padding and,. to some extent,detracts from the appearance of the covering.

The present invention contemplates a floor covering of the generalcharacter previously set forth, wherein the marginal edge portions ofthe flexible covering sheet extend laterally beyond the padding intoengagement with the floor, but, wherein the width and flexibility of themarginal edge portions are not limiting factors. In accordance with thisinvention, the marginal edge portions of the covering are preformed toengage the flooring immediately adjacent the edges of the padding and,as a consequence, the flexible covering may possess the desired degreeof flex-.

ibility without interfering with the engagement of the marginal edgeportions thereof with the flooring beyond the padding. In addition, theabove renders it possible to cover a greater area of the flooring withthe padding, since the width of the marginal edge portions extendingbeyond the padding may be substantially less than heretofore employed infloor coverings of the'type previously referred to.

The foregoing will be made more apparent as this description proceeds,especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing,wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a floor covering con-' structed in accordancewith' this invention;

Figure 2 is afragmentary sectional view taken substantially on the planeindicated by the line '2--2 of Figure l.

ered with the padding I2 and the sheet II may Figure 3 is an enlargedfragmentary sectional viewof a portion of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a detailed perspective view, partly in sectiomshowing themanner in which the padding is in effect housed by the flexiblecovering. v

For the purpose of illustration, I have shown my improved floor coveringas employed in vehicle bodies to cover the flooring of the driver'scompartment, although, it willbe apparent as this description proceedsthat the principles involved herein may be advantageously utilized inall cases where it is desired to employ floor coverings embodying apadding.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, it will be noted that thereis illustrated in the figures, a floor mat I0 having a flexible coveringII and having a padding I2 preferably, although not necessarily,permanently secured to the underside of the flexible covering I I. Inthe present instance, the flexible covering I I is shown as comprising avulcanized sheet of rubber having an ornamented top surface and having aborder I3 at the free marginal edge thereof.

As shown particularly in Figure 2, the marginal edge portions of theflexible sheet"- II form a border I3 having a width suflicient to engagethe flooring beyond the padding I2 and, in the present instance, thisborder is preformed to the contour shown in Figure 2 to permit the freeedges of the same to engage the flooring immediately adjacent the edgesof the padding I2. In the event the flexible rubber covering II isvulcanized in a mold, the. construction of the latter is such as tofashion the border I3 in the form of a depending marginal flange on thecovering 35 of a width predetermined to some extent, in dependence uponthe thickness of the padding so as to engage the flooring around thepadding.

With this construction, it will be apparent that substantially theentire floor area may be covbe of any desired degree of flexibilitywithout in-' terfering with the engagement of the marginal edge portionor border I3 with the flooring around the padding.

' It will, of course, be understood that the padding is of sucha natureas to form a resilientfoundation for the flexible sheet II, and thethickness of this padding is. predetermined to impart a soft yieldingtread to the mat. The layer of padding may be cemented, vulcanized,

or otherwise permanently secured to the underside of the flexible sheetII so as to form'a unit therewith. 1

As previously stated, the floor covering selected herein for the purposeof illustration is of the type employed in the driver's compartment of amotor vehicle, and, accordingly, the same is suitably apertured atpredetermined points for the passage of the various vehicle controls. Ifdesired, the apertures through the mat provided for the reception of thecontrols may also have a preformed border similar to the border E3previously described as surrounding the padding l2.

What Iclaim as my invention is: I

A floor mat having a relatively soft, yieldable padding of predeterminedarea for surface engagement with a floor, and a preformed'cover o1wear-resisting material of uniform thickness and of greater area thanthe padding disposed flat upon and secured to the upper face of said pacding and terminating in spaced relation to the I edges of the padding inarcuate portions'for edge engagement with the floor, the floor-engagingedge portions aforesaid of the cover being in a

